


hot and bothered

by fruectose



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-12
Updated: 2020-07-12
Packaged: 2021-03-05 05:26:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,379
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25229038
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fruectose/pseuds/fruectose
Summary: emphasis on the 'hot'
Relationships: Annabeth Chase/Percy Jackson
Comments: 3
Kudos: 143





	hot and bothered

The thing is-

The _thing_ _is_ , Percy isn’t being an asshole for no reason at all. He knows what he’s doing is _totally_ uncool and that some might (should) say that his best friend deserves better- and that’s exactly it! She _does_ deserve better. She deserves the _best_. And for some inexplicable reason, she’s chosen _Percy_.

While he works on building up to giving her the best, most thoughtful, dramatic happy ending that he’s capable of (spoiler: it’s for prom), he’s allowed some fun. And messing with Annabeth- that is top tier. You can’t make him feel guilty about it. He’ll make it up to her when the time comes, sweep her off her feet and love her openly until the end of time. Until he gets to that, though- she’s on her own.

Besides, she’s _so_ cute when she’s flustered.

“…and they have this, like, _ridiculous_ set of fang-like teeth.” Annabeth is saying now. Percy sorts lazily through the contents of his locker in search of his English books. The school is abuzz with excitement for the weekend that stretches out in front of them, and Annabeth is talking about the documentary she watched last night. “Anyway, they’re really deep down in the sea, so you can’t see them. Apparently, fishermen in Iceland sometimes catch them and leave them out on display-”

“What are you talking about again?” Percy asks as he finds the textbook and closes his locker door. He takes a good look at her. She’s wearing a denim skirt and a red blouse and Percy’s convinced she just gets prettier every day. It takes him a moment to realize she’s been worrying her bottom lip like she does when she’s upset.

“You weren’t listening?” She sounds hurt and Percy’s gut drops.

“No, I was.” He tells her. He’s listened to Annabeth talk about everything under the sun for nine years now, and there will never be a day that he won’t be completely in awe of the way she speaks. “The BBC documentary, Iceland, fangs... I just didn’t hear the name of the fish.”

Annabeth seems satisfied because she straightens up. “It’s the Sloane’s viperfish.” She says. “I remember because it looks like Matt Sloane.”

“It looks like the thirteen-year-old bully from middle school?”

Annabeth nods. “Huge teeth, alien looking- exactly like him.” Percy laughs.

“You can be _such_ a dick.” He tells her. Annabeth shrugs and ducks her head.

“Shut up, Jackson.” She shoves him lightly and starts to walk away. Percy reaches out and grabs her hand without thinking, and pulls himself up to her. He swears she’s sending electricity coursing through his entire body and he doesn’t know how long he can touch her before he combusts. (He’ll take his chances- what a way to go.)

“You guys!” Grover appears behind them, and Percy feels suddenly robbed of a _moment_. He tries not to be irritated by his other best friend. Grover looks between them, their hands, and then narrows his eyes at Percy. “Oh. Was I interrupting… something?”

“What? No!” Annabeth jumps as far back from Percy as she can, jerking her hand out of his grasp and glaring intensely at the floor under Grover’s shoes. “We- no! It’s… Percy…”

Grover watches her, but Percy doesn’t blame him. He can barely stop staring, either, and it’s not for the usual reasons. Annabeth gestures her arms wildly and struggles to bring out her words. It’s like watching a trainwreck.

“The fish. It’s about Iceland. And.. I thought- like, we’re not... interrupt? David Attenborough, and we- Jackson. And I’m Annabeth… and… friends, right?” She looks helplessly at Percy, meets his eye and then immediately averts her gaze. She swallows visibly and Percy can see her face slowly turn redder and redder. He feels his heart squeeze with affection and has to fight the overwhelming urge to grab her and kiss her like his life depends on it, right here, in the hallway of their high school. “I’m going to go home.”

She turns on her heel, keeps her head down and marches off.

“I have your car keys!” Percy calls after her, reaching into his pocket.

“Keep it!” She doesn’t so much as turn around. He watches in amusement as she grabs Silena Beauregard, who’s talking to some of her friends, and, without explanation, drags her in the direction of the doors.

Grover stares down the hallway for a moment and then looks at Percy.

“So… I take it you haven’t asked her out yet?”

“I told you, man.” Percy slings his backpack over his shoulder and he and Grover make their way down the hallway, in the same direction Annabeth had gone. “I’m waiting for prom.”

Grover raises his brow. “I think you’re having way too much fun embarrassing her.”

“No, no. I mean, it’s enjoyable to watch her like that, obviously. Don’t give me that look, you know it’s funny!” Percy protested. Grover rolls his eyes and readjusts his hold on his crutches. “Besides, she embarrasses herself. I did nothing.”

“You should ask her out before she finds someone else.”

Percy sticks his tongue out as they come out into the car park. “I promise I’m working on it.”

“Say, ‘Annabeth, I’ve been in love with you since the day I met you and have been talking Grover’s ears off about you for nine years now so you know I’m not messing about’.” Grover tells him. “I can back you up on that.”

“I’ve not been talking your ears off!” Percy protests, but Grover only gives him a pointed look. “Fine. Whatever. It’s not that easy. This is Annabeth. She’ll never admit it, but she _loves_ romance. Her favorite movie is literally _Roman_ _Holiday_.”

He spots Annabeth’s silver Volkswagen and they approach it. “I don’t know whether you know this about me, but... I’m no Gregory Peck.” He gestures to himself. “I’m not about to take her riding on a Vespa around the cobblestone streets of Rome, I can barely afford a gelato here in Berkeley.”

Grover rolls his eyes. “I don’t think Annabeth wants some huge declaration of love. Just tell her, before you lose her to someone else.”

Percy gets into the driver’s seat and holds Grover’s crutches as he slides into the passenger seat.

“What are you going to do with her car, anyway?” Grover asks. “Considering she’s basically left you it.”

“I’ll offer to drive her to and from Connor Stoll’s party tonight.” Percy says. “It’s not that big of a deal, believe it or not, this isn’t the first time she’s abandoned something kind of important to get away from me.”

Grover smiles. “Are you thinking about when she left you with her brothers at the swimming pool because you didn’t have a shirt on?”

“Or the time she walked out of her own house- and stayed out for _hours_ , by the way- because Amelia told her to keep her room door open when we worked on that chemistry project.” Percy adds.

Grover chuckles. “The saddest thing is, I don’t think she realizes how obvious she’s being. Remember when she had a crush on Luke and passed out when he hugged her?”

He feels that familiar wave of jealousy when he thinks about Luke Castellan, Annabeth’s ex-boyfriend, even though he’d graduated two years ago and had been long gone from their lives. Some part of him wonders if Annabeth would faint if Percy hugged her. He hopes she doesn’t, because he cares about her well-being, but the part of him that’s competing with Luke Castellan- the part he’s always actively suppressing- _really_ wants her to.

“She’s a good one.” Grover says mildly when the silence goes on for too long. Percy pulls up to his house and Grover gets out.

“You coming to the Stolls’ place tonight?” Percy asks. Grover shrugs his shoulders.

“Juniper and I are going out on a date. I was thinking I’d ask her to prom.”

“Why would you ask your girlfriend to prom? Isn’t that, like, a given?”

“It’s just a formality. Some girls like things like that, Percy.” Grover tells him. “Anyway, maybe we’ll swing by later. See you tomorrow?”

“Don’t you know it.”

Percy spends his Friday evening irritating his five-year-old sister and then consequently being told off by his mom. Standard. When his stepdad comes home, he looks around the room and then suspiciously at Percy.

“Is Annabeth over?” He asks. Percy shakes his head. “I noticed her car parked out front.”

“Notice how it’s been parked _well_?” Percy asks in response. “That’s all the proof you need that it wasn’t her behind the wheel. I’m just holding it for her until tonight.”

“Are you going with her to the party then?” His mom asks, taking a break from her brownies and leaning over the kitchen counter. Percy nods and steals one of Estelle’s chips when she’s bent over her latest masterpiece that will no doubt go onto the refrigerator and have Percy squinting at it for hours trying to make sense of it every time he wants some orange juice.

“Yeah, I’m driving, remember?”

“I mean as a _date_.” His mom rolls her eyes and ruffles his hair and Percy nearly chokes.

“Why would you think I’d go with her as a date?” Percy asks.

“Oh, no reason. I just figured you guys… you know.” His mom gestures vaguely.

“No, I don’t know. Is it because she likes me?”

“Annabeth likes _you_?” Estelle asks, suddenly tuning into the conversation and deciding that Percy was deserving of her two cents. She pulls a face. “Why?”

“Excuse me.” Percy says. “I’m _very_ likeable.”

“But Annabeth is funny. And you’re… Percy.”

“And you’re… going to get your butt kicked if you don’t shut up.”

“Percy, don’t talk to her like that. She’s five!” His mom chides mildly.

“Percy has a _girlfriend_.” Estelle sings, unafraid in the face of any imminent danger to her butt. She grins toothily at him. “And she’s prettier than him.”

Paul laughs. “Alright, Estelle. Why don’t you go finish that beautiful work of art in your room, honey.”

Estelle looks like she wants to stay back, but because she’s five and a total wimp when it comes to standing up to her parents, she collects her crayons and totters off. Paul looks expectantly at Percy after she disappears.

“Now I know we’ve talked about it before, Percy, but if you are dating Annabeth, it’s important to remember that sex comes with responsibilities-”

“We’re not having sex!” Percy cries. He hops to his feet. “We’re also not dating! And… _Mom_. It’s nobody’s business but mine!”

His mom and Paul exchange an irritating, knowing look and Percy feels his cheeks heat up. Holy hell, could a guy not be hopelessly in love with his childhood best friend without being hounded by his parents?

“You guys are so embarrassing.” He tells them before stalking off to his room. He needs to get changed, anyway, if he had to pick Annabeth up before the party.

Apparently, his mom isn’t done yet, even after he comes out, because as he leaves the house, he hears her call behind him,

“I just want you to be careful, Percy! And safe. And don’t push Annabeth. Or let her push you! Love you! Have fun!”

“I love you too, Mom.” He grumbles and slams the door shut behind him. So much for that.

He pulls up to the Chase household and spots the twins playing basketball with a couple of their friends in their backyard. Percy looks at his button-down and jeans and tells himself it’s irresponsible to soil them before the party. Then he catches a glimpse of Amelia chatting to one of the women who lives on the same street in the living room and is reminded of how painful it is to sit through high-brow conversations with her. He barely ever understands what Annabeth’s stepmom talks about. He hears the sound of a basketball against the court flooring and he makes up his mind. He is as much of a non-intellectual as he is a basketball player, so there’s really no question about who he chooses.

He walks over to the twins and the two boys he assumes are their friends.

“Hey, guys know if your sister’s ready yet?” He asks. Bobby gives him a fist bump and Matthew cups his hands around his mouth and hollers up to the first floor.

“Hey, Annabeth. You ready yet? Percy’s here!”

Percy can see a flurry of movement before Annabeth appears at the window, her hair up in a messy knot and in a towel. _Nothing_ but a _towel_. Percy feels his face heat up and she catches his eye. Even from the distance, he can sense her shoulders tense, and imagines she’s blushing.

“Oh- um… Percy! Give me, like, four minutes. Tops.” She doesn’t wait for a response and ducks back into her room.

“Four minutes is ambitious.” Bobby tells Percy matter-of-factly. “She’s only done with her makeup. Usually there’s a breakdown over what to wear, a lot of anger directed towards her hair that won’t cooperate… a little bit of irritation with the makeup that’s since faded because she cried over the fact that her green top doesn’t go with her blue jeans… then she’ll be ready.”

Percy blinks at him. “Oh.” He says. He knows Annabeth likes to dress up on occasion, but he doesn’t think he’s ever actually seen that part of the process up close before. It’s funny, he thinks, that he’s known her for over half his life and can still learn new things about her.

“It’s a date ritual.” Matty tells him.

“We’re not going on a date.” Percy snaps. Why do people keep assuming that? Sure, they’re going to be dating, very soon, if Percy gets a move on- but he doesn’t need to be reminded to get his act together constantly. He’s _trying_! Matty snorts.

“Yeah, _okay_.” He says disbelievingly.

“We’re not!” Percy cries.

“Okay, this is just a I’m-going- _platonically_ -to-a-party-with-a-boy-I-like ritual for Annabeth. Is that better?”

Percy glares at him. “Whatever. Can I play some ball?”

“Sure. This is Justin, and that’s Tyler. Guys, this is Percy. Annabeth’s _boyfriend_.” Bobby says.

“Not yet!” Percy retorts. Bobby raises his brow.

“ _Yet_?” He asks. Matty’s grin is nothing short of devilish. He drapes an arm around Bobby’s shoulders and leans over to Percy.

“Interesting…” He says.

“You know what-?” Percy asks. Had the temperature suddenly gone up? He resists the urge to fan his face- who is he, Audrey Hepburn from Roman Holiday? _No_. He’s going to be Gregory Peck, damn it! “I’m going to kill you both.”

“If you kill us Annabeth will never date you.” Matty tells him innocently. “She hates it more than anything else about herself, but deep inside, she loves us. And you love _her_.”

“Oh my god, I’m actually going to strangle the both of you.”

“Save it for the court.” Bobby grins, tossing him the ball and running off towards the basket. “Matt and Percy versus the three of us.” He calls.

For the most, playing basketball with a bunch of high school sophomores is pretty fun. Even if they think they’re oh-so-clever and constantly rub the fact that you’re kind of sort of wholeheartedly in love with their sister in your face. Percy can’t really hold it against them. The twins are good boys.

It takes Annabeth a total half an hour to come out, but she does not disappoint. She’s wearing a pair of loose jeans and a short tight white top that he’s seen her in before, and Percy swears he’s being completely unbiased when he says she looks _hot_. She has large silver hoops in her ears and her hair in a ponytail and he thinks he wants to skip all the steps between and marry her right then. For a second, she leaves him speechless.

“Percy?” She asks shyly. _Shyly_! Annabeth! He doesn’t think he’s ever seen her so timid. He walks up to her and is hit with the familiar scent of her usual perfume. Musky and citrus with a base note of pure ecstasy.

“You look, uh… great.” He tells her. Suddenly he’s very aware of the fact that he is now somewhat sweaty and that his hair that he’d worked so hard to comb is probably sticking up awkwardly again. Annabeth’s eyes roam slowly around his face and her lips quirk up. She looks so cute Percy thinks _he_ might be the one to pass out this time around.

“Thanks. You do too.” She tells him before leading him to her car. He lets her drive, even if it means he spends the journey a little afraid for his life, because it occurs to him just how much he cares for her. He wants to spend the entire car ride (and then possibly his whole life after) caring for her some more.

“So…” Annabeth starts when they pull out of the driveway. “About me leaving you the car…”

  
Percy laughs. “It’s okay. It was weird that Grover said that.” He lets her off the hook. Again. It’s fun to watch her squirm, but there’s a clear line. It’s only funny for as long as Annabeth can bounce back from it. He’s never wanted to humiliate her in anyway, and he can tell she’s mortified.

Annabeth lets out a breathy laugh. “Yeah…” She says. “I just wanted you to know… I’m glad you’re my friend.”

“I’m glad you’re my friend, too.” Percy tells her. She waits, and he isn’t sure if it’s an opening. It’s probably the best chance Percy will ever get. Then again, she’d called him her friend. Maybe it’s her way of telling him she doesn’t want to ruin anything. Before he can figure out what to do, she turns on the radio to Katy Perry. Percy groans.

“Are you kidding me?”

“-You just gotta ignite-”

“Oh, come on, Annabeth. Don’t-”

“-the light-”

“This is my personal hell-”

“-and let-”

“Please stop-”

“-it shine-”

“You’re killing me.” Percy tells her. Her smile is radiant and she leans her head back when she laughs. She’s so _Annabeth_ it makes Percy’s heart threaten to explode. She’s definitely killing him.

She doesn’t respond, instead bursting into song, completely off-key and, quite simply put, awfully displeasing to the ear. Horrible as the sound is, Percy can’t bring himself to interrupt, because Annabeth is singing and she is smiling and she is happy and somehow that’s the only thing in the world that has ever really mattered.

By the time they get to the Stolls’, the party is in full swing. Percy and Annabeth stick close to each other as usual- they have a buddy system that has yet to fail them- until Silena Beauregard bounces up to them and tells Annabeth that there is something _absolutely_ she needs to know. Then she shoots Percy a look that makes it clear that it’s something that he _absolutely_ is not welcome to the conversation, so Percy makes the diplomatic decision to bow out.

He speaks to Chris Rodriguez for a bit and then to Rachel Dare from his Biology class who looks like she might need a familiar face. Annabeth joins him, a fresh red cup in hand, just as Rachel excuses herself to the toilet. Annabeth watches after her.

“Who’s that?” She asks, too lightly to be genuine. Percy feels her step a little closer to him, and he knows he shouldn’t do it, but he’s probably going to hell anyway so he shrugs his shoulders.

“Rachel.” He says vaguely.

“So… how do you know Rachel?” Annabeth asks nonchalantly. Laughter is bubbling in Percy’s chest. He cannot believe how transparent Annabeth can be and it makes him love her just a little bit more.

“Biology class.” He says.

“She’s cute.” Annabeth tells him. She hops onto the kitchen counter and takes a sip from her cup.

“I know.” Percy says.

Annabeth chokes on her drink and recovers remarkably quickly. When she looks at him, her face is bright red, shining through the makeup.

“Oh.” She says quietly, more dangerous than any threat she could have made. Percy shrugs.

“I was considering asking her to prom.”

Annabeth opens her mouth and then shuts it. Then she jumps off the counter and glares at him.

“You should.” She snaps and then storms off into the crowd, leaving Percy feeling like maybe he’d gone a bit too far.

“Fuck, Annabeth, wait-” He follows behind her but he’s already lost her. He scours the room until he finds Silena with her boyfriend. “Hey, have you seen Annabeth?”

“Yeah, she’s out in the backyard with Luke.” Silena says.

Percy is about to head out when he freezes. “With Luke?” He asks. “Not Luke Castellan?”

“Yeah!” Silena nods. “He’s back home for the holidays and you know how he and the Stolls are basically like brothers. That’s what I had to tell her!”

Oh, _fuck_ , Percy thinks. _You should ask her before she finds someone else_ , Grover’s voice tells him. Percy hadn’t expected it would be as soon as the very night.

He refuses to lose Annabeth to Luke Castellan. The guy’s a total scumbag. He’s handsome and funny and charming and he looks at Annabeth like she’s the world to him and Percy _cannot_ stand to think about how horrible it would be if Annabeth started to date him again. He bursts out into the backyard and spots the two of them almost instantly. Annabeth is always the easiest person to locate in a room- his eyes are trained to seek her out. He walks over and pauses when it looks like they’re having a serious conversation and a wave of jealousy and doubt washes over him.

Percy can interrupt, right? Annabeth didn’t have any qualms interrupting his completely innocent conversation with Rachel. He’s allowed to do that- it makes sense. Still, his legs won’t take him forward. He watches from the distance as he imagines Luke asking her out again. Luke is the first person she’s ever loved- she probably can’t even remember Percy’s name right now. Unfortunately, Percy knows he can’t steal her away from Luke like that. Not if that’s who she still wants, regardless of her crush on him.

So he watches from the sidelines as they talk, and then hug, and he thinks maybe that’s the end. He’d waited too long and now it’s over. Luke walks away from her after a while, and Percy’s too preoccupied to realize he’s headed towards him until he is stood in front of Percy.

“My sincere advice?” He says with no preamble. “Don’t wait too long.”

“Nice to see you too.” Percy says as his brain tries to make sense of Luke’s words. Luke raises a brow.

“I’m telling you to make a move when you still can.” He says slowly, as if explaining it to a toddler. Percy glares at him. “It’s easy to fool yourself into believing that you’re the only thing she’ll ever care about. Annabeth… has a way of making you feel like a king in her eyes. But what’s a king to a goddess, right?”

“What did you talk about?” Percy asks. He looks over Luke’s shoulder to see Annabeth talking to Travis Stoll. Her shoulders are rounded and she isn’t gesturing as much. She seems… _upset_.

“It doesn’t matter, dude. Whatever sign you’re waiting for, to get a move on? This is it, okay?” Luke rolls his eyes. “Either ask her out or set her free. She doesn’t deserve to get fucked over again.”

“You mean after you?”

“ _Yes_ , I mean after me. Be better. She deserves better.” Luke scowls at him and then walks off without waiting for a response.

Percy watched after him, wondering if it’s a bad sign that Luke’s words reminded him a little of his own. He used to have a plan. He was waiting for prom, when he’d give her a cactus because she doesn’t like bouquets and can’t look after a plant to save her life, and a hand-written letter telling her how deeply he cares for her. The plan was to hold her hand and tell her how he’s been obsessed with her since the moment he laid eyes on her when they were eight years old, and how a lot of times she’s the only thing that keeps him grounded.

He wants to sit down and frame out these words because his feelings for her are too immense. He wants to rent a Vespa and drive by the beach and treat her like Princess Ann, because she’s all that and more. But the truth of the matter is, he’s only been waiting because he’s too scared. He’s a little scared that she won’t love him the way he does her, and he’s terrified that one day she might stop.

Maybe he should go up to her and tell her what he’s feeling, but he doesn’t want it to be because he’s afraid of losing her to an ex. He’s been trying to come up with the perfect romantic declaration of love for he because he already knows what she’s going to say- _Percy, this is the perfect story to tell our children_!, because Annabeth only knows to love that intensely. He wants her to have that- an epic love story with the hero saying and doing all the right things- but he’s also grown really tired of waiting. Prom is a month away, and there’s times Percy doesn’t think he’ll last a month- times that he wants to kiss Annabeth _now_ and he wants to scream to the world that she’s his girlfriend _now_.

He catches her eye and she gives him a small wave over, and he knows they need to have a conversation soon. He approaches her and slides his arm over her shoulder and for a flash, Annabeth looks like she’s dreaming. Percy excuses the both of them and leaves Travis Stoll, only half-way through some elaborate prank he was planning on his brother.

“Hey.” He’s breathless from how close she is to him.

“Hi.”

“Bear with me for a moment.” Percy tells her. A thousand words and voices are swimming in his brain getting louder and louder until he has to hold Annabeth’s shoulders to steady himself. His palms rest on either side of her neck, holding her head up so she’s looking at him. “All this while, I thought it was about what you deserved, right?” He asks. It’s obvious she’s confused, but Annabeth nods. She wraps her fingers delicately around Percy’s wrist and searches his face.

“Are you okay?” She asks. “You look like you’re going to be sick.”

“No- I mean, yes. I’m okay. Just listen to me.” He says. Words are coming out of his mouth but he doesn’t know if he’s making sense. Some kind of fight or flight or blurt out everything response has kicked in and Percy loses all control of what he’s saying. “I thought you deserved the best. A real love story. Like Joe Bradley and Princess Ann. I thought you deserved this larger-than-life hero, and… I just discovered that- you don’t.”

Annabeth frowns. “Uh… thank you?”

“I thought I was doing these things for you. I was going to do the whole thing- get you a succulent and write you a letter about how I feel and rent a Vespa and take you to prom- but I wanted to be _better_. So that I could be worthy of you.”

“What are you talking about?”

“I know you like me, Annabeth.” Percy tells her. She turns pale almost instantly. He can see her struggling to breathe.

“How?” She asks, voice barely over a whisper.

“You’re so obvious!” Despite the astronomical level of stress he’s feeling, Percy manages a laugh. Did she really think she was being suave? “You bumble and blush and stammer and you can never make one coherent sentence if someone so much as hints at anything romantic between the two of us! I didn’t tell you because I thought it was cute to see you flustered.”

Annabeth’s eyes are wide. She opens her mouth and shuts it over and over again. Annabeth has something to say about _everything_. She once talked to him for twenty-four minutes about how, in her opinion, mermaids had sex. There’s almost nothing in this world that Annabeth couldn’t talk about. It’s kind of monumental that she’s speechless.

“And I thought if I could be romantic like Gregory Peck…but that’s not the point. I mean…” Percy falters under her gaze. He can’t form one intelligible thought, not when Annabeth looks like that in front of him. Has she gotten even more beautiful since the beginning of their conversation?

“I don’t…” Annabeth starts, and then stops, which Percy takes as a sign to continue. Unfortunately for him, he doesn’t really know what it is that he’s saying, but he’s desperate to fill up the silence.

“And you want _me_!” He cries. “And I didn’t understand it because you’re the only person in this world who fully knows me… there’s no sense to it. But then Grover, he, uh…” Percy swallowed and closed his eyes. “He said there isn’t much time… and then my mom- well, Paul, actually. Responsibility and sex...”

It’s an outer body experience. He can see himself as if he were an outsider watching in. It’s like watching a disaster waiting to happen and not being able to do anything about it. His brain is screaming for him to either shut up or make sense, but his mouth is still running.

“What I’m trying to say, is… I’m not your boyfriend yet. But it’s now. I mean, I’d like it be yet, now. And… you’re prettier than me. Also, like, Katy Perry? But you were singing, and you’re… killing me.”

Percy’s entire face is on fire. He finally manages to shut his mouth when he realizes Annabeth’s eyes are watering and her lips have widened into a huge smile.

“Percy.” She says. That’s it. Just his name. It’s like a shot of caffeine straight to his bloodstream. He feels her arms slip around his waist and it gives him the strength to see this through. He takes a deep breath. There’s only one thing he really needs to tell her.

“I have been in love with you since the day I met you in elementary school.”

“Shut up, Jackson.” Annabeth says quietly. Tears are falling onto her cheeks.

“I have never been able to shut up about you.” Percy confesses. He cups her face in his palms and brushes his thumbs over her cheekbones. “I think you’re the coolest, funniest, most beautiful human being in the universe and I… am totally in love with you.”

“I know.” Annabeth says simply. Percy frowns. He very much doubts that’s true.

“No, you don’t.”

“I didn’t.” Annabeth admits. “Until thirty seconds ago, when you were bumbling and blushing and stammering and couldn’t make one single coherent sentence. That was kind of a giveaway, Jackson.”

She kisses him softly with an assuredness that he hadn’t know he needed. He holds her face as gently as he can, fighting against every part of his body that wants to pull her as close as he possibly can to him and keep her there, secure and tight, forever.

“You should’ve shut me up, like, ten nonsensical thoughts ago.” He tells her.

“It _is_ sort of cute to see you flustered.” Annabeth replies.

“Ugh, you’re the worst. I always knew when to shut _you_ up.”

“Fine. Percy, shut up.” She kisses him again. When she pulls away, she pouts her lips a little and frowns.

“What?” Percy thought the kiss was perfect. Did she hate it? Oh god, does she think Percy is a bad kisser? That’s somehow worse than being rejected.

“This is a stupid story to tell our children.” She whines. “You said you loved me and I told you to shut up.”

“Tell me you love me now and we’ll pretend everything in between didn’t happen.” Percy promises.

“God. Shut _up_ , Jackson.”

“Make me.”

“No. Just… shut up. I love you.”

“I know.”

“No, you don’t.”

“You’re blushing.”

“Will you _shut up_ , Jackson!”


End file.
